One Small Victory?

jonolanAccording to some I should be doing a victory dance because the US House of Representatives passed a version of the “Affordable Health Care for America Act” that included explicit language that limited the funding that ObamaCare could provide for abortions.

Admittedly, this is not bad news. But it’s a very cold comfort at best.

That supposed victory for the Pro-Life movement would be the Stupak Amendment to HR 3962 that was passed by US House of Representatives in a  240 – 194 roll-call vote. The Amendment was put forth by Reps. Bart Stupak (D-MI), Brad Ellsworth (D-IN), Marcy Kaptur (D-OH), Kathy Dahlkemper (D-PA), Dan Lipinski (D-IL), Joe Pitts (R-PA), and Chris Smith (R-NJ) – a truly bipartisan effort and one shockingly led by Democrats.

SEC. 265. LIMITATION ON ABORTION FUNDING.

(a) IN GENERAL. – No funds authorized or appropriated by this Act (or an amendment made by this Act) may be used to pay for any abortion or to Cover any part of the costs of any health plan that includes coverage of abortion, except in the case where a woman suffers from a physical disorder, physical injury, or physical illness that would, as certified by a physician, place the woman in danger of death unless an abortion is performed, including a life-endangering physical condition caused by or arising from the pregnancy itself, or unless the pregnancy is the result of an act of rape or incest.

(b) OPTION TO PURCHASE’ SEPARATE SUPPLEMENTAL COVERAGE OR PLAN – Nothing in this section shall be construed as prohibiting any non-federal entity (including an individual or a State or local government) from purchasing separate supplemental coverage for abortions for which funding is prohibited under this section, or a plan that includes such abortions, so long as –

(1) such coverage or plan is paid for entirely using only funds not authorized or appropriated by this Act; and

(2) such coverage or plan is not purchased using

(A) individual premium payments required for a Exchange-participating health benefits plan towards which an affordability credit is applied; or

(B) other non-federal funds required to receive a federal payment, including a State’s or locality’s, contribution of Medicaid matching funds.

(c) OPTION TO OFFER SEPARATE SUPPLEMENTAL COVERAGE OR PLAN. – Notwithstanding section 303(b), nothing in this section shall restrict any non-federal QHBP offering entity from offering separate supplemental coverage for abortions for which funding is prohibited under this section, or a plan that includes such abortions, so long as

(1) premiums for such separate supplemental coverage or plan are paid for entirely with funds not authorized or appropriated by this Act;

(2) administrative costs and all services offered through such supplemental coverage or plan are paid for using only premiums collected for such coverage ,or plan; and

(3) any non-federal QHBP offering entity that offers an Exchange-participating health benefits plan that includes coverage for abortions for which funding is prohibited under this section also offers an Exchange-participating health benefits plan that is identical in every respect except that it does not cover, abortions for which funding is prohibited under this section.

Yes; this is a victory in the sense that it wasn’t a further loss to the Liberals. It was a victory in the same way that defenders holding their line and not breaking under an onslaught and holding their ground is a victory.

The passage of the Stupak Amendment merely maintained the status quo on abortion. It was only a victory because it goes a long way towards preventing ObamaCare from using federal tax dollars to subsidize voluntary, on-demand abortions. Despite various bits of misinformation from President Obama, the Liberals’ healthcare reconstruction would have been an end-run around the Hyde Amendment without the Stupak Amendement being attached to it.

I see little reason for a victory dance over just holding the line.

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6 Responses to “One Small Victory?”

  1. Kelly Mahan Jaramillo Says:

    Jonolan –
    Hey just holding the line these days is getting increasingly difficult for everyone. At least give it a small smile, if not a full out get-your-groove-on. 🙂 And maybe be a little bit nicer to Democrats, since there were 64 of them in favor of Stupak.

    What I find really sick and astonishingly stupid in the Bill is having a separate Insurance provider for abortions! Would this be something one has to have at all times, like car insurance, yet if birth control malfunction left someone unexpectedly pregnant, would her condition prevent her from getting “Abortion Insurance” because it would then be deemed a “pre-existing” condition? I cannot imagine the “abortion Insurance” would be any different than regular insurance, where practically being alive is considered a pre-existing condition.

    Repulsive.

    On another note –

    I am just quite surprised at how much this bill is disliked by Republicans, when it is still knee-deep in the forced consumerism for profit pool.

    Anyway, there are a few small victories for each side, and a LOT of grumbling and unhappiness from both sides, so now we just have to wait and see what the Senate presents, and let Congress hash it out.

    I already had my own fit yesterday on “WH”, and today is live my life day, get some work done, Bobby has a book review to write, etc.

    Upwards and onwards!

    Cheers,
    Kel

  2. jonolan Says:

    “What I find really sick and astonishingly stupid in the Bill is having a separate Insurance provider for abortions!”

    OK. What I find really sick and astonishingly wrong is the Liberals trying to circumvent the Hyde Amendment so that my tax dollars will be spent by the federal government on subsidizing abortion on-demand.

    That’s the catch. You have to separate out elective abortions from medical procedures, or not provide federal funds for insurance premiums; otherwise you violate the Hyde Amendment and the sensibilities of a lot of Americans.

    As for the supposed forced consumerism, as long as there’s a “Public Option,” this is just an attempt to nationalize health insurance over the next decade.

  3. kissmymango Says:

    I say we just jail women who get abortions. I mean, they’re murderers, right? Even the ones whose baby died in utero and she was forced to have it removed- murderer! And women who miscarry too. You know those bitches just did it on purpose. And, I say we force everyone to provide organs to those in need on demand and at their own expense. If you don’t you’re a murderer just like an abortionist. Except men, cuz their bodies are all sacred n shit. but women – they should have “for rent” signs tatooed on their stomachs. That way they can’t ever say “but I don’t want to be pregnant/give up my kidney” – bitches are the publics vending machines. They should do what we tell them to do.

  4. jonolan Says:

    kissmymango,

    Yawn. If you’re going to attempt to rant at least show some facility for it. Otherwise you just show yourself to be yet another worthless fool.

    Better yet, try putting whatever legal training you’ve undoubtedly acquired to some use and review the legislation in question and that of the Hyde Amendment. Perhaps, then you could tell me why you are so pathetically upset even though the Stupak Amendment merely prevents the abortionist from circumventing Hyde.

  5. The Baby Killer Lies | Reflections From a Murky Pond Says:

    […] Adviser David Axelrod said that President Obama will “intervene” to ensure that the Stupak Amendment is stripped from any Health Insurance Reconstruction bill that makes it through […]

  6. Infanticide Loophole | Reflections From a Murky Pond Says:

    […] baby killers on the Left have already taken steps to ensure that, even if some version Stupak’s amendment is included in the monstrosity of ObamaCare’s Health Insurance Reconstruction, the public […]

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